FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – As the national passport processing backlog continues, Fort Bend County and Missouri City partnered to hold a passport fair at the Missouri City Community Center on Saturday.
From the picture to the application, the Missouri City Community Center transformed into a one-stop shop for all your passport needs.
“I’m coming here to get my daughter a passport,” Katrina Floyd said.
The mother said she and her family are traveling to Cuba in October. She saw the advertisement for the fair online and signed up for a slot.
“It’s a very easy process for kids,” she said. “Imagine taking your kids down to the passport office downtown, and the line is long and there’s a long wait time.”
Dozens of people showed up at the community center eager for help.
“We have a fair every month in Fort Bend County to try to help our citizens get a passport,” Fort Bend County District Clerk Beverly McGrew Walker said. “As you know, the state department has been inundated with applications.”
At the fair, they help with applying for the first time or a passport renewal. There’s also a camera booth on site for passport photos. You will have to wait 10 to 13 weeks for routine processing and seven to nine weeks for expedited processing. The processing times do not include mailing times. It could take up to two weeks for applications to arrive by mail at a passport agency or center, and up to two weeks for an applicant to receive a completed passport in the mail.
To find out if your area is holding a fair, keep an eye out on their county website. KPRC 2 will also share information about upcoming fairs.